Giveaway of the Day Forums

1. 

   Dragonlair
   Member

   I'm grasping at straws! It's driving me crazy. For the past couple of weeks, I have been plagued with a sudden very very loud "POP" or "CRACK" sound right beside me using the computer. It only happens once every several days at most. It might be even longer in between incidents.

   I do not have a fancy computer setup and NOTHING has changed in the configuration in the past 2 years or more. There is a monitor, modem and the system unit in front (and to the right of me). NOTHING behind me. To my left is just a lamp and Echo dot. To the left is a printer (turned off), a phone, the MagicJack connection, a router and a few small UPSs for the router/modem and a UPS on the floor.

   ANY IDEA what could be causing this "CRACK"? There's no smell or smoke or anything after the fact. Just almost a mouse on the floor when I jump!

   The only thing I can think of is a CyberPower UPS that is a bit over 2 years old.

   Posted 4 months ago #
2. 

   ChrisS
   Administrator

   My guess is that you're hearing the relay engaging in one of your UPS units as it switches from line voltage to the internal battery.

   You might check the manual(s) for your units. Some UPS units run self-checks. If the lights flicker and you hear a "click" you don't think anything about it. If the lights don't flicker and you hear that "click" then it stands out. Some units also allow you to set how sensitive they are to the incoming line voltage, maybe the sensitivity is set too high.

   Posted 4 months ago #
3. 

   Dragonlair
   Member

   I don't think that's it. I know the "click" you're referring to. It happens occasionally. It's a small muted sound. This is more like the volume of a gunshot near your ear! It's a very loud "CRACK", not a "click".

   It only happens when the PC is in use, either by me or my husband and only after the PC has been in use for at least a few hours. Only once has it happened in the morning (last Monday when I was brushing my teeth). I didn't hear it with the electric toothbrush on and in another part of the house. Every other time it's been in the afternoon or evening.

   What confuses the issue is that there has been an occasional "POP" of some board in the wall since we've lived here (over 40 years). It can be as loud but is a totally different sound.

   Posted 4 months ago #
4. 

   ChrisS
   Administrator

   That it only happens when the computer is in use tends to imply that it's something electrical but it could simply be normal house movement and the old "tree falling in the forest" that made a sound because you were there to hear it.

   You might consider moving/turning the computer to get a better idea of where the noise is coming from. If you can face where you think the noise is coming from then it would be easier to determine where it originates, and if it's from the ceiling, the wall, or the floor. Since it seems to occur largely in the afternoon or evening then it could just be "heat of the day" expansion.

   However, I'd want to rule out that it's electrical so I'd check that all of the plugs are firmly inserted in the outlets, and, while doing that, that none of the plugs or wall outlets are warm. Then do the same with the UPS units, is everything firmly plugged in, are any of the plugs warm or show signs of heat (pay particular attention to anything that's not normally turned on). Then verify that the UPS functions correctly. I'm a pretty cautious guy so I'd turn the UPS off, plug it into a power strip, unplug all of the normal stuff, plug in a lamp or other sacrificial device, turn on the power strip, the UPS, the lamp and then turn off the power strip and see if the battery works and for how long, also confirm that the plug and cord aren't warm. Repeat for all the outlets. Turn the power strip or UPS off before you plug something into the next outlet in case there's a short.

   Posted 4 months ago #
5. 

   mikiem2
   Moderator

   Regarding the UPS... manufacturers use glue to prevent components from vibrating loose from the circuit boards during shipping. Sometimes there's quite a lot of it -- I guess it depends on the employee spraying the stuff. Like much else purchased via bids, this glue is pretty cheap stuff, and has been confirmed to change its chemical composition over time, becoming electrically conductive (!). Google and you'll find more info, including reports of them catching fire because of this. Using a power strip for a day or so to see if the noise disappears makes sense. I'd *think* there was enough voltage, capacitors etc. to make that sound if stuff is shorting out -- in that case the noise would be a warning sign with more serious stuff happening inside the UPS housing.

   Regarding the PC, the only component in a PC carrying/handling higher voltage & currents would be the power supply [I'm assuming you don't have a $1000+ graphic card], & I *think* the capacitors might be large enough to hear one pop. I'm guessing that it would also be possible for the CPU heatsink / cooler to make a noise if due to heat expansion press-fit parts are shifting.

   Otherwise my only suggestion would be to try unplugging everything for a few days. The circuitry in LED lamp bulbs can pop -- we've had that happen, though *usually* the bulb quit working at the same time. Some printers [e.g., HP] can I think power on their networking circuits to check in with home base, even when they're turned off. An Echo Dot can surely make abnormal noises. If the modem/router is one piece, Google on the make & model to see if anyone else reported anything similar. Combined modem/routers can be susceptible to more problems than usual.

   Good Luck!

   Posted 4 months ago #
6. 

   Dragonlair
   Member

   Thanks to both ChrisS & mikiem2!

   I have a new UPS (different brand) on order. It is supposed to be here tomorrow. Since I made my first post, it hasn't happened.

   I know it's not the Dot - wrong direction. The sound is always to my right and the Dot is to my left. It sounded like it was right in my ear and the only thing at that level to my right is the MagicJack.

   No, I do not have a combined modem/router. The router is well above my head and the modem is in front of me.

   It's hard to chase down problems that won't occur regularly! You can't fix what won't break!

   We've checked for heat on plugs but haven't seen anything.

   Let's see if the new UPS does anything. If we still get the SAME SOUND after that is switched, it wasn't the UPS.

   Technology!!! You can't live without it but living with it can be a REAL pain.

   Posted 4 months ago #
7. 

   mikiem2
   Moderator

   It's hard to chase down problems that won't occur regularly!

   When I was running auto shops intermittent problems were the bane of good techs -- the lazy & poorer techs loved them OTOH since they could either say it they couldn't get it to happen, or claim that they fixed it, since it could take days, or weeks to prove them wrong.

   Posted 4 months ago #

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